Prague, Sept 28 (CTK) – Several hundred people yesterday attended a rally against immigration and the government at which Tomio Okamura, leader of the populist Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), asked the Czech government to step down.
Okamura said on Tuesday he would take the steps in the Chamber of Deputies due to which it should voice no-confidence in the government.
The SPD has three members of the 200-seat Chamber of Deputies.
“We are demanding the resignation of this government and new elections,” Okamura said.
The migration crisis can be resolved by a resolute return of migrants across the border and immediate closure of the Czech borders, he added.
In May, the center-left coalition government of Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) survived a no-confidence vote that was only joined by 47 deputies for TOP 09, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Dawn, while 54 more were needed to oust it.
The protesters were chanting “Shame on the government.” Some of them were waving Czech flags.
There was a petition asking President Milos Zeman to dismiss the current government and to name a caretaker government that would rule until early elections.
A group of bikers came to support the rally. Okamura said there were up to 200 of them.
The police estimated the number of the demonstrators at roughly 600.
After the main rally ended, the protesters set out for the embassies of Hungary and Slovakia, Prague police spokeswoman Iveta Martinkova said.
The Hungarian news agency MTI said the speakers had spoken highly of the position on refugees adopted by Budapest and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The demonstrators said Hungarians were trying to save Europe and European traditions based on Christianity and the Greco-Roman culture as they had the other day defended the continent against the incursions of Turks.
The protest ended without any incidents, the police said.
